My website - any comments?

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lcr
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:49 am
Location: Chiclana de la Frontera

My website - any comments?

Post by lcr »

Hi,
This is my first attempt of building a website. Please feel free to comment. Good, bad. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)
www.lacasarosa.biz
Chiclana de la frontera spain
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vrooje
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Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:48 am
Location: Burgundy, France

Post by vrooje »

Hi lacasarosa,

Generally I like your color scheme and background images, and found all the text easy to read.

A couple of corrections are needed: there shouldn't be an apostrophe in "Photo's" in your menus.

I also couldn't get the availability calendar to load.

It would be nice if you had photo captions and it would be good for your SEO if you had title/alt tags for your photos. Likewise, it would be good for your SEO if you put more keywords in your page titles. For example, instead of just "la casa rosa" you could have it say "la casa rosa, holiday villa rental in Spain".

Also, I found the navigation a little confusing. I think you should consider more links between your pages. Your availability calendar should link back to the page with your prices, and your interior photo page should have something at the bottom enticing readers to click and find out what services are included at the villa they've just seen pictures of. Your price page could invite people to check availability and see photos of what they'll be getting for those prices.

Actually, I might re-name the "Services" link to something more descriptive. When I think of "services" I think of stuff like cleaning/cooking/babysitting/airport car hire etc., whereas you're mostly describing the amenities at the house. There's also no indication from the front page that this is the page where your prices are. So if you have room given your font size, you might consider changing that page to "Prices & Amenities" or something similar.

One last thing: your menu seems to start pretty far down the page. I'm guessing this is just because you happen to have a big chunk of text describing the current discount, but that menu will be "below the fold" for many users, so if it's possible to move it up, I'd consider it.

Overall I'd say the site is definitely functional but it could use a few tweaks to make it really useful. Looks like a nice property!
Brooke
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

Your attractive catch phrases are:

If you think you know Spain, think again!
This region will surprise, delight and enchant you......


Any chance of letting us know where this region is? Apart from helping potential guests it would also help the Search Engines.

Spelling, punctuation, capitalisation, grammar etc. throughout the website also needs some careful thought.

Even the dimmest punter would get the message about the 'Sizzling Offer' - do you have to have it on every page?

MG
declanja
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Location: Nice France
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Post by declanja »

Welcome to LMH and the review critics! I have recently joined and found the reviews honest and worthwhile. Take it all on the chin :)
I agree with other reviewers that there is no need for the special offer on each page. Likewise a map pinpointing your property and area would be beneficial. I also feel you could have better photos.The one of the garden with the swing is used on each page. It reminds me of a wigwam!! Other photos of the exterior look a bit bare. Could you add some colour with flowers etc. Even the lawn could do with a bit of fertiliser or photoshopping colour wise! I didnt like the grey driveway in your first photo.It takes up too much of the photo.

The property is huge and would be ideal for families. I wish you well with it. :)

Declan


http://www.niceplace.iowners.net/
Musetta
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Post by Musetta »

I REALLY don't like the "special offer" popping up first...I had to scroll down to see the house! I would want to see your lovely home and then decide if I'm interested in a special offer to book :-)

I also agree that you need to spell right away out where in Spain the house is....I don't know Spain at all, so would need to be told specifics if I were to land on the site.
declanja
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Post by declanja »

"Hi there, I have just come across this forum, and it looks pretty good. I am trying to sell my house on the costa de la luz, does anyone know of any good agents/sites to advertise with. I have got it with a few local agents, but haven't really had any luck.
We moved back from Spain last year, and would really like to sell, so we could start up again back in the uk.
I am currently advertising for short term holidays, and am also thinking of maybe a long term, but then I wont be able to have potential viewers. Any ideas of the best way to sell?"

You don't seem to be sure if you are going to be using this website for long!
lcr
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:49 am
Location: Chiclana de la Frontera

Post by lcr »

[quote="declanja"]Welcome to LMH and the review critics! I have recently joined and found the reviews honest and worthwhile. Take it all on the chin :)
I agree with other reviewers that there is no need for the special offer on each page. Likewise a map pinpointing your property and area would be beneficial. I also feel you could have better photos.The one of the garden with the swing is used on each page. It reminds me of a wigwam!! Other photos of the exterior look a bit bare. Could you add some colour with flowers etc. Even the lawn could do with a bit of fertiliser or photoshopping colour wise! I didnt like the grey driveway in your first photo.It takes up too much of the photo.

The property is huge and would be ideal for families. I wish you well with it. :)

Declan




Thank you for all your comments, I will spend a little time this week, updating my website. The only thing I cant change is the heading on each page, whatever I have on the first page, repeats itself on each page thereafter!
Chiclana de la frontera spain
lcr
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Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:49 am
Location: Chiclana de la Frontera

Post by lcr »

You don't seem to be sure if you are going to be using this website for long


Just trying to keep all my options open!
Chiclana de la frontera spain
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Garri
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Post by Garri »

I don't like the use of the word 'Services' in the menu, it would be better as 'The Villa'.

And the 'services' page would be far more effective if it had some photos.

It wouldn't be the first holiday home website I've come across that fails to mention the region or town but at least you've mentioned it's in Spain, which is helpful ;-)
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Windy
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Post by Windy »

I don't like the use of the word 'Services' in the menu, it would be better as 'The Villa'.

And the 'services' page would be far more effective if it had some photos.
I find myself agreeing 100% with Garri :lol:

(Whatever you do don't tell him that I've just relaunched my company website based on his recommendations of pure html/css with a menu on the right or he'll think I've gone really soft - got to work on the rental one next when I've ironed out all of the kinks)
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Fil
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Post by Fil »

You need more and better photos. I would keep photos together and not create a two folders (interior / exterior) the SHOUTING summer offer makes it look that you are desperate to get rid of these dates. Why, if you claim it is fantastic. Punters might be suspicious. Make it more discreet and on the side.
Good luck
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Garri
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Post by Garri »

Windy, we're dumping pure html/css (it's old hat) and now going back to tables, may even throw in some Flash animations here and there.

Menu on the right? That's so 2005, we're going to place ours down the middle :lol:

Anyway, I see that despite loads of good suggestions, the subject of this review remains languished in mediocrity.
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greenfrog
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Post by greenfrog »

Hi,

I have to agree with what's already been said about the site, especially re the special offer. Having it pop up on every page - and it took over the entire window for me as I had a reduced window - smacks of desperation. I think you should put the special offer notice under the main pic.

The home page should state where the villa is - it wouldn't occur to me that location would be under "services"...

Spelling, punctuation, syntax need work. And I don't like the menu on the right. We read English from left to right so the brain expects to begin on the left.

Good luck with the rentals and / or sale.
Lounging on the lily pad...
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

And I don't like the menu on the right

But majority of us are right-handed and most scrolling is achieved from the right-hand side of the page - don't you find it a pain to have to move your pointer to the other side of the screen each time you investigate the menu?

MG
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Garri
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Post by Garri »

And I don't like the menu on the right.


I used to be with you on that Greenfrog, but the overwhelming majority of modern websites these days have their main nav on the right.

If you had a website with everything 'above the fold' then this wouldn't be such an issue, but since the scroll bar on browsers is over on the right it makes a lot of sense to place the main nav menu on right.

The menu on the right is one of the few things the subject of this review has got right (imho) ;-)
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